New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, has launched the AIME Academy (AI Academy for Media and Entertainment), a significant initiative aimed at advancing AI-driven media education, research, innovation, and capacity building across India.
The AIME Academy was inaugurated by Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Chanchal Kumar, in the presence of IIMC Vice Chancellor Dr. Pragya Paliwal Gaur and Dr. Manish Gupta, Senior Director, Google DeepMind India, at the IIMC campus in New Delhi.
The launch of AIME Academy coincided with the successful completion of a 10-week hybrid AI Skills Training Programme that trained more than 110 newsroom professionals, media educators, and students representing over 100 newsrooms and media institutions across 23 cities and more than 10 Indian languages.
AIME Academy Envisioned as National Centre of Excellence
The AIME Academy has been conceptualised as a national centre of excellence dedicated to artificial intelligence in the media and entertainment sector.
Built on a five-pillar framework encompassing capacity building, research, innovation and incubation, responsible AI policy development, and strategic collaboration, the Academy seeks to transform IIMC’s traditional media training ecosystem into a future-ready media capability platform.
Through AIME Academy, IIMC aims to create India-specific AI training modules, support applied research in AI-powered journalism, document newsroom AI adoption practices, and encourage the responsible deployment of AI technologies across the country’s media landscape.
With its six centres located in New Delhi, Dhenkanal, Jammu, Aizawl, Amravati, and Kottayam, IIMC is well-positioned to facilitate language-specific AI learning and capacity building across diverse regions of India.
The AIME Academy is also expected to bring Indian perspectives, including multilingual communication, public service broadcasting, rural audiences, and democratic diversity, into global discussions surrounding AI and media.
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AI Skills Programme Participants Honoured
A major highlight of the event was the graduation and certificate ceremony recognising participants who successfully completed the AI Skills Training Programme.
The participants represented organisations including Doordarshan, Akashvani (All India Radio), Press Information Bureau (PIB), Publications Division, and IIMC.
The programme provided foundational AI literacy as well as practical exposure to Google’s AI tools such as NotebookLM, Gemini, AI Studio, and Pinpoint.
Participants from both government communication institutions and private media organisations received hands-on training designed to strengthen their AI capabilities and newsroom efficiency.
AI Should Support, Not Replace, Human Judgement: Chanchal Kumar
Addressing the gathering, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Chanchal Kumar congratulated the participants and highlighted the broader significance of the initiative for India’s media ecosystem.
He said, “Today’s occasion is not merely a certificate ceremony. It marks a larger transition in the way Indian media institutions are preparing themselves for the future. The real question before us is not whether AI will influence media; that process has already begun. The more important question is whether our journalists, editors, media educators and public communication professionals will shape AI with confidence, responsibility and an India-centric perspective.”
Referring to the critical role played by public service media institutions, he noted that Doordarshan, Akashvani, PIB, and Publications Division carry a unique responsibility of communication across multiple languages and geographies, making AI preparedness especially important.
He further emphasised: “AI may be used as an assistant, but not as a substitute for editorial responsibility. It may improve speed, but not at the cost of accuracy.
It may support creativity, but not at the cost of authenticity. The role of human judgement will become even more important in the AI age.”
The Secretary also reiterated the Government’s approach towards artificial intelligence as being “positive, enabling and responsible,” aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make AI in India’ and ‘Make AI Work for India’.
Google News Initiative AI Skills Programme
The AI Skills Training Programme was conducted under the Google News Initiative in partnership with IIMC, with training support provided by How India Lives. The 10-week hybrid programme brought together professionals from print, digital, broadcast, regional, and local news organisations across both government and private sectors.
The programme focused on equipping participants with practical AI knowledge, newsroom applications, and innovation capabilities to support the evolving needs of the media industry.
Key Highlights of the Programme
- More than 110 participants from 23 cities and over 10 languages
- Participation from more than 100 newsrooms, media colleges, and public communication institutions
- Over 40 hours of AI-focused training and one-on-one mentoring for each participant
- More than 170 AI-powered projects and published works completed
- Over 50 vibe-coding applications developed by participants
- Campus outreach conducted across all six IIMC centres nationwide
The launch of AIME Academy marks a significant step in strengthening India’s AI-ready media ecosystem by combining education, research, innovation, and responsible AI adoption under a dedicated institutional framework.
